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Nuisance or stray cats
If you come across a stray or nuisance cat, report it to us for advice and assistance. By law, you cannot keep a found animal, and cats must be contained before we can collect them.
To report call us at 03 9278 4444 (24 hours) to arrange for the animal's collection.
We can only collect cats if they are in a Council-hired cage or securely contained in a box. If the cat is in a box, you’ll need to move it to the Council cage when our officer arrives. If you use your own trap or box, you can transfer the cat to a Council cage or take it to the RSPCA in Burwood East.
We encourage cat owners to keep their cat on their property, particularly between dusk and dawn. About 80% of accidents with cats occur at night. This is also when they are most likely to hunt native wildlife.
If a neighbourhood cat is causing issues on your property, try speaking to the owner or use our Sample note for contacting a cat owner if you're not comfortable approaching them directly.
Barking dogs
Nuisance barking is defined as persistent barking that unreasonably interferes with the peace and comfort of others. Before contacting us, we encourage you to speak to the dog owner first. Many owners may not be aware that their dog’s barking is affecting others.
Talk to the dog owner first
It's possible that the dog is only barking when the owner is not at home. In most cases, approaching the dog owner in a friendly way and sharing your concerns with them can fix the issue.
If you aren’t able to speak to the dog owner or don’t feel comfortable approaching them directly, you can write to them.
Use our Sample note for contacting a dog owner or write your own letter with details about the days and times of the barking. Remember that it may take some time for the owner to correct the dog’s barking. They may be trying to re-train their dog to help the issue. It’s important to keep an open conversation with your neighbour about their progress.
When to try mediation
If you haven’t been able to fix the problem by talking to the dog owner, you can try mediation.
You can find out about a free and confidential mediation service for people to deal with disputes or conflict on the Dispute Settlement of Victoria website.
When to report the barking to us
If the barking continues, you can contact us after recording 7 days of the dog’s behaviour in the provided barking dog diary.
- Record 7 days of barking using the 7-day barking dog diary.
- Complete the Report a barking dog form online and attach your diary.
Additional reports can be emailed to us at [email protected]u or by calling (03) 9278 4444.
How we will investigate your report
One of our Animal Management Officers will contact you, verify the information, and may provide a more detailed 14-day barking dog diary if needed. We will inform the dog’s owner and give them 21 days to address the issue.
When to take legal action
If the issue persists, we may need to take legal action under the Domestic Animals Act 1994, which could result in fines, good behaviour bonds, training requirements, or, in serious cases, removal of the dog.
More information:
For further assistance, call us on (03) 9278 4444 or email [email protected].